Eddie couldn't remember ever feeling this nervous. Not the first time he had performed on a real stage or when Corroded Coffin had put out their first album. Not when he came home to apologize to Wayne. Not even the drive to Steve's after finding out who he really was, knowing they would break up.

The only thing he could compare it to was when Charlie was born, and he'd been standing there waiting to hold his babygirl for the first time. That had been the start of his new life, that one infinitesimal moment of having such a small bundle in his arms and seeing Charlie's face for the first time. Nothing had compared to it because, for the first time in Eddie's life, he knew he was meant to be her father.

Until Steve. Because now, Eddie knew he was supposed to be with Steve. He was the one who was supposed to help raise his babygirl. What had once seemed a solitary journey now had room for another at his side.

Today, Eddie was going to offer himself up to that old age fear, love.

So yes, he was really fucking nervous.

Chris had stolen Charlie early in the morning, taken her to Robin's for the day supposedly, and he was instructed to wait until midday to come over. She wouldn't reveal any more information despite his pleas. Which meant he spent all morning pacing around the apartment in fits of nervous agitation. He couldn't sit down for more than a few minutes before he was up again.

The minutes trickled by, and he tried to pass the time writing, which had been coming back in stronger bouts in the passing months. The thought of going to LA and spending time with the band was sounding more and more appealing if he could convince Steve to go with him. Because he wouldn't risk losing Steve again, if he didn't want to go, neither would Eddie.

Finally, it was eleven thirty, and his phone buzzed with a new message. Tossing aside the shirt he'd been considering, Eddie snatched up his phone to see it was Steve. Hands trembling slightly, he opened the text.

Princess - [11:29 AM]

Help! I've been taken captive by two dragons!

Eddie stared at the message, nonplussed. He jumped when his phone buzzed again, and this time, it was a photo. Steve was halfway up a tree, and he seemed to be laughing. Below him were Chris and Robin, both baring their teeth with clawed hands.

He rang Steve, relieved to hear Charlie's voice. "Hi, Daddy!"

"Hey, babygirl. What's happening?"

"Mr Steve is being attacked! I can't fight two dragons by myself. I need your help before they eat him!" She dissolved into a fit of giggles, and in the background, Eddie could hear the two girls laughing, too.

Relaxing and even smiling himself, Eddie snatched up the discarded shirt and pulled it on. "I'm on my way. Hold them off for me?"

"Okay. Love you!"

"I love you, too." Eddie hung up and grabbed his jacket and keys, hurrying outside and, in his haste, had to run back up to lock the door. Pulling up outside Steve's, he sent a prayer to whatever god was listening that Doris had remembered her handbrake and rang the doorbell. Charlie answered, and she smiled wide, grabbing Eddie's hand to tow him through the apartment. "Slow down! What are we doing?"

"We need to defeat the dragons and save the princess," Charlie said exasperatedly, tugging him outside, and she pointed at Chris and Robin lounging underneath a tree.

Eddie looked up and smiled, waving at Steve, who was still perched in the tree, and he waved back, calling something down to the girls, who jumped back into character immediately.

Charlie looked up at him with wide eyes. "What do we do?"

As he was thinking about a game plan, Wayne's words came back to him. Something he said as he was leaving Chris' party. "That boy, Steve? He's good for you."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Eddie. I see the way you look at him. And I see the way he looks at you and Charlie. Don't fuck it up."

Eddie was not going to fuck this up.

"Okay, game plan, babygirl," Eddie whispered, crouching beside Charlie so the girls couldn't overhear. "You distract the dragons, and I'll rescue the princess. You feeling brave?"

Charlie nodded, expression serious. Eddie got back to his feet and winked at Chris.

"Go!" Letting out a fierce battle cry, Charlie sprinted straight at Chris and almost toppled her over with her speed. Robin pounced, tickling her, and as Charlie shrieked with laughter, Eddie skirted around the side of them, jogging to the tree.

Steve smiled down at him demurely. "So, are you my Prince Charming?"

"Sure am, hop on down." Eddie held out his arms. After a moment's hesitation, Steve climbed down a few branches and dropped into his arms. Staggering slightly, Eddie managed not to drop him. "Come on then, Princess, let's go home."

Steve blushed, but before he could say anything, Charlie let out a victorious cheer. "We won! We saved the princess! The dragons have been slain!"

Turning, they found Chris and Robin sprawled on the floor at Charlie's feet.

Eddie huffed in amusement. "Well done, brave knight."

"Hey, Prince Charming," Robin whispered loudly. "You rescued the princess. You get to kiss him now."

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" Chris started up the chant, Robin and Charlie joining in.

"What do you say, Princess?" Eddie asked Steve, raising an eyebrow. Steve only smiled, fingers curling around his jacket to pull him down into a kiss. It was chaste, but it sent Eddie's heart fluttering. When they broke apart, Steve's smile was brilliant, and he couldn't help returning it.

Eddie set Steve back on his feet just in time to catch Charlie as she sprinted over. She frowned at Steve as she was lifted onto Eddie's hip. "You didn't turn into a frog."

"Uh, ribbit?"

"No!"

Steve looked helplessly at Eddie. He took pity on him and explained, "I've kissed a lot of frogs. Gotta make sure I find the prince before bringing them home to meet Charlie."

She nodded fiercely. "Mr Steve is no frog. Is he the pretty princess?"

"He is," Eddie confirmed, smiling at Steve. He ignored Chris and Robin, sniggering behind them. "No frogs in sight."

"So…" Charlie frowned, piecing it together slowly. Steve looked nervous, so Eddie snagged his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Are you… boyfriends?"

"Well, that depends." Eddie looked down at her and winked. "Do you want to keep Steve? He'd be around a lot more, and I'd probably kiss him too."

Charlie's nose scrunched up at the thought, but then she giggled. "That's fine. I like Mr Steve."

"You can call me just Steve now," Steve said gently. After a moment's hesitation, he put a hand on Eddie's chest, close to Charlie's but not quite touching her. "I'm not your teacher anymore, but I'd like to be your friend, maybe even a dad… if you'd like that."

Charlie looked up at Eddie again, eyes wide and searching. "Do you love him, daddy?"

"Yeah," Eddie got out in a choked voice. Fuck, he'd never thought he'd get to this point with someone. Especially not someone as perfect as Steve. "But Steve will stay only if you want him to."

Charlie considered them both and then put her hand over Steve's. "Okay. I like you, Just Steve. Can you put me down, Daddy?"

Eddie did, and she hugged him fiercely. After a moment, she held out an arm and looked at Steve expectantly. He immediately dropped to his knees to join them. He was not as good at hiding his emotions; tears were streaming down his cheeks already. Eddie pressed a kiss to his temple and then one to Charlie's curls. He was so relieved Charlie was okay with it; he had been terrified she wouldn't like Steve that much.

A moment later, Chris and Robin were joining their hug, so Charlie was squashed between all four adults. She shrieked with laughter, wriggling herself free. "Don't squish me!" When she got free, she scowled at them all, hands on hips. "Can we eat now? You promised we could when Daddy got here."

"Okay, let's go put the pizzas on." Chris and Robin took her inside, giving Eddie a moment alone with Steve.

Still on the ground, he smiled and kissed Steve's hands. "Well, that went well."

Steve laughed wetly, scrubbing at his face. "She's amazing."

"I know. So I gotta make sure the people in her life are amazing, too." When they kissed, Eddie pulled back and frowned, catching Steve's chin to run his thumb over his jaw. "Have you shaved?"

"Robin insisted. I don't think she knows how much you like body hair." Steve hesitated, and his expression became almost guilty. "But she does know about your piercings."

"Which ones?" When Steve didn't answer, Eddie's heart dropped. "You didn't."

"I didn't know who you were at the time!"

"That is all kinds of gross." Eddie shook his head, leaning in to kiss Steve again before getting to his feet with a groan and brushing grass from his pants. He offered a hand to Steve and helped him to his feet. "How about lunch? I hear we're having pizza."

"Sounds perfect." Steve held his hand tightly, and he didn't let go when they joined the others.

In fact, they were joined at the hip for the rest of the day, often joined by Charlie, who seemed just as eager to spend time with Steve, not that Eddie minded. Chris managed to bribe Charlie away with the lure of ice cream, and Robin got out an old ID card to get half-price tubs? Whatever their reasons, and Eddie strongly suspected it was to give them some alone time, he was grateful.

When the door shut, Steve grinned and swung himself onto Eddie's lap, holding his face between his warm hands to kiss him hotly. "God, I've been wanting to do that all day."

"Mmm, keep going?"

He laughed but obliged, kissing Eddie until they were both breathless.

When the others returned, it was fairly easy to settle down together. It turned out Steve and Robin had been watching the same show Charlie and Chris loved, and Charlie spent the first half of an episode catching the two up on everything from the first three seasons before finally settling down.

It had been the perfect day, but something was still nagging at Eddie. It wasn't until late in the evening, and Charlie had crashed between them on the couch, that he remembered. He tapped Steve's thigh, leaning over Charlie to whisper. "Come to LA with me."

"What?" Steve asked in amusement, but his smile faded slightly when he saw Eddie was serious. "I can't just leave."

"Only for a couple of months. The guys are working on their next album, and they want me there. I've been thinking about it, and… yeah, I'd like to go. I'd take Charlie, too, just until the school year starts. So come with us."

Steve looked down at Charlie, face working as he thought. When he looked back at Eddie, he was smiling. "You sure?"

"Positive. If you don't want to go, I won't either. This is more important to me."

"But you want to go?"

"I want you more."

Steve rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the blush darkening his cheeks. "Okay. But I gotta get my work done."

"Deal."

"LA," Steve said in amazement, eyes glazing over, and then he laughed softly. "Didn't see this coming."

"But you're happy?"

"So happy," Steve promised, leaning over Charlie to kiss him, and their hands joined over her sleeping form. "You?"

"Never been more perfect."

Eddie felt this time, if he chose to do it again, he could handle the lifestyle. After all, he had Charlie, Chris, Wayne, and now Steve and Robin to support him. Whatever the future held, Eddie felt confident in saying he had everything he'd ever need right there with him, and Steve's glowing expression told him the feeling was more than mutual.